Research

Sustain

Advocate

YCS is a watchdog for development and researches smart solutions for our territory.

Wildlife

The Yukon is alive with fully functioning, healthy ecosystems. The landscape supports a diversity of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, moose, sheep, marmots and pileated woodpeckers. Eight tree species, including the white spruce and trembling aspen, and 38 species of freshwater fish, including the arctic grayling and inconnu, make their home here. The mighty Yukon River and its tributaries support one of the longest salmon runs in the world. While overall species diversity is not high, an unusual concentration of rare species is centered in the far north. The Yukon Territory has more vascular plants of global conservation concern than any jurisdiction in the country. These species have limited ranges tied to the areas of land which remained ice-free during glacial periods.

Although the Yukon territory supports a full range of native wildlife species, human developments in the form of roads, logging, mining and oil and gas projects and residential sprawl are impacting these fragile northern ecosystems and putting wildlife populations at risk. The Yukon Conservation Society strives to protect wildlife and critical habitat and, where development is permitted, encourage measures that mitigate impacts. YCS recognizes that trapping and hunting are culturally and recreationally important ways for people to sustain themselves and connect with the land. YCS supports humane, sustainable and responsible hunting and trapping in the territory.

YCS does this by engaging in management plan reviews conducted by Environment Canada, the Yukon Government, the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board and the Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee. Through our regular submissions to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB), we bring attention to fish, wildlife and habitat that stand to be impacted by proposed development.

We promote appreciation and understanding of wildlife through educational programs including BioBlitz events, winter wildlife mammal tracking workshops and our guided hikes at Miles Canyon.

Canada is currently holding consultations on the federal environmental assessment act (CEAA), the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA), the National Energy Board and the Fisheries Act.

You can participate at this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation/assessments/environmental-reviews.html

YCS has made submissions to the CEAA and NWPA. They can be found at the bottom of the page under documents.

Changes to the Yukon Wildlife Act

The YWA is annually reviewed. YCS submits our comments on the proposed changes each year. Read the 2017 comments below.

Herbicide Application

The Yukon Government is currently holding a public review of a pesticide application permit by the WhitePass & Yukon Route railway (Lake Bennett into Carcross).

The DeAngelo Brothers Corporation has applied for a permit to apply pesticides along the White Pass & Yukon Route railway (right of way) from Lake Bennett into Carcross. The proposed pesticides are Vantage, Hasten and Arsenal, which are potentially toxic to aquatic life, but are effective herbicide/weed control. Public feedback will be considered when determining if a permit should be issued, and if a permit is issued, in setting conditions to reduce potential impacts. YCS has submmited comments - read them here in MS Word format or as Adobe PDF format.

Klaza Caribou Herd

The Yukon Government has done a range assessment that summarizes the current habitat and population status of the Klaza woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) herd in the Dawson Range of west-central Yukon. The Klaza herd, formerly known as the Klotassin herd, is one of 26 northern mountain herds recognized in the territory.

Key risk factors affecting the Klaza herd are described, and the factors representing the greatest risk to the herd’s long-term viability are identified. Both current and future potential human-caused (anthropogenic) and natural factors that may affect the herd and its habitat are considered. A future land use scenario and fire risk maps were used to examine anticipated levels of future human and natural disturbance. While it is not possible to predict exactly when or where future mineral development will occur, the mineral development scenario currently being contemplated for the Dawson Range (extension of the Freegold Road, development of the Casino mine, and potentially one or two other mines along the road corridor) would result in a large increase in the level of human disturbance on the winter range, a reduction in late-winter habitat effectiveness, and declining areas of undisturbed habitat. The major catalyst for increasing levels of all-season mineral development activity is anticipated to be construction of the Freegold Road extension, with the Hayes Creek – Selwyn River – Big Creek portion of the late-winter range being most at risk.